Only a Memory
by moonfilledtears
Summary: Her life was destroyed by a mysterious man... Will she find her answers at hogwarts? And why is Mr. Ollivander so concerned about her wand? A Hogwarts side story.
1. Chapter 1

It's a Wonderful Life played faintly in the backround... Elizabeth sat numbly on the floor. It had been three days since that bad man had come. Whatever he did made sure that mommy and daddy didn't wake up. She sat there whimpering by their lifeless bodies. She felt cold and hungry, but most of all, scared. Why didn't they open their eyes? "I'll come back for you, my love..."

Elizabeth woke with a start. Orphaned at the age of 5, that dream had plagued her for six years. She had moved from house to house, each of her relatives too bothered to keep her for very long. "What's wrong with me?" She wondered, gazing at her reflection. She saw a pale young girl, with long, silky chestnut hair, the last of her curls falling out, flushed cheeks, and soft eyes, the shade of blue topaz. She had often heard that she resembled a doll, though less and less as she grew. But she wondered, was there something else there? Something she couldn't see?

"Alright! You've spent enough time in that room! Now quit sulking! You got a letter!" She heard her great aunt Josephine shout up at her. So far, things with aunt Josephine had been going well, at least she had managed to stay here six months without receiving the boot. She clambered down the stairs. "Well, you gonna read it?" It's about time, really," a grin spread on the aged woman's face. She looked about sixty, her white-grey hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was missing a few teeth in the smile, and seemed to have an odd fetish for flannel. As a matter of fact, most of her relatives spoke of her as mountain woman. But Elizabeth didn't mind, whatever the woman was, she seemed almost pleased to take her in.

Elizabeth took the envelope with a trembling hand. It was an odd letter. The envelope was made out of yellow parchment and was addressed in emerald ink. Now curious, she opened it.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Sumit,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

She looked at her aunt Josephine, disbelievingly. But to her surprise, her aunt was grinning broadly. "'Bout time we had another witch in the family. You remember your great uncle Harold? Was always jealous of him. But then he went and died in a flying accident, ha! But now we got you! You're going to that school, you hear me."

Elizabeth was dumbstruck. This letter was real? "Y-yes Auntie," she replied. "Good, now go get some rest, we'll be leaving first thing in the morning to get your school things."


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth arrived at Diagon Alley without too much difficulty. Aunt Josephine had been here before with her brother, of course. And with good old Tom, the bar keep for the Leaky Caldron (which stood at the gateway) to help them in by tapping the third brick from the left with his wand, she could finally accept that this all was real.

Everywhere there were amazing things to see. Strange people and smells. Cauldrons and broomsticks on display. Owls hooting and flying around. She couldn't stop starring, especially at the goblins, having never seen a mythological creature in real life before. She also found it interesting when her aunt exchanged their "muggle money" for these strange little coins made of gold, silver and copper. She couldn't help but gaze at this strange currency. Could she actually belong in this world?

Her excitement only seemed to be dwarfed by her aunts. "My, my. I haven't been here in so long! You know you have to be with a witch or wizard to get in here! Too bad I never found me a good wizard husband, huh, Lizzy?" Aunt Josephine said nudging her. It was obvious that she would have done anything if only to be born a witch too. But as long as Aunty was happy, Elizabeth knew that she had family, a home. What did it matter to be used?

"So, girly, what do you need to get?" Her aunt nudged her again. "Umm... let's see," she said, pulling out her list. "I need a wand-" "Perfect! Let's start with that!" Aunt Josephine cried, grabbing her arm and dragging her until they reached a dusty little shop that looked as if it had been out of business for years. The sign read Ollivanders: makers of fine wands since 302 B.C. Her aunt merely glanced at it before dragging the poor child inside.

In the wand shop sat a strange man with frizzy gray hair and silver eyes. He looked rather old but moved with the air of a man twenty years his junior. "Mr. Ollivander!" Josephine exclaimed. His eyes moved from Aunt Josephine and rested on Elizabeth. Their seemed to be a twinkle of curiosity and recognition in those misty orbs, but with a quick shake of the head, it was gone. "Aha! First year a Hogwarts I take it." He pulled out a tape measurer that began to take measurements of Elizabeth's arm and torso of its own accord. He rummaged through many boxes on the shelf. When this strange man-Mr. Ollivander-seemed satisfied with the measurements- the measuring tape now measuring the distance between her eyes-he called for it to stop. "Here we are! Holly and unicorn hair! Excellent for charm work!" But as soon as the wand was placed in her hand, it was rapidly pulled out again. "Here, how about this one? Oak and hippogriff feather?" But that one was soon taken from her. And so on it went, Mr. Ollivander becoming more and more amused with each wand they tried. He kept laughing, saying "The wand chooses the wizard after all."

But after what seemed like an eternity of "testing" these wands even he seemed to tire of this game. His eyebrows knotted together and he looked at the child as if he were trying to peer into her soul. "Oh, what the heck! Let's give it a try!" He exclaimed, exasperated and a little disappointed. He hurried to the back of the shop, shortly returning with a small and dusty box. "Here child, try this one," he encouraged. Lifting the lid she found a long wand, blackened with age. She could barely make out the tiny symbols that were engraved on the hilt. "Willow," He murmured. "And strange at that. Hematite, lapis, and tiger's eye, all fused together with Vampuric venom." She felt very nervous, gazing at this wand. It seemed almost as if Mr. Ollivander were warning her, pleading not to take this wand. She slowly reached in and grasped it, her fingers forming a bond with the symbols. Suddenly she felt complete. Warmth rushed trough her and she found herself flicking the wand, which emitted crystalline sparks from its tip. Mr. Ollivander gazed at her, pity and sorrow in his eyes. She instantly felt guilty, as if she had commited some sort of crime.

The silence was broken by Aunt Josephine clapping her hands in joy, oblivious to the change of atmosphere. "How much will it be, Mr. Ollivander?" Not removing his eyes from the girl he softly replied no charge." Even more quietly, he murmured "It is back with its rightful owner, afterall."


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, obviously, I am not the owner of this series.**

**Now for the next installment of the only H.P. fanfic I'll probably ever finish :D **

Aunt Josephine seemed to rather enjoy herself. But ever since she took hold of that wand everything else seemed dull, lifeless. Could it have been just her imagination, or did the faces of passing witches and wizards seem colder than they had before? That little, tiny bit of hope that burned inside her ever since she realized that Hogwarts did exist seemed to die inside her. Oh, that September 1st would never come!

But the more you dread something, the faster it approaches, and in no time at all, it was time for Elizabeth to take her trunk and head for Kings Cross, Aunt Josephine leading the way. It wasn't difficult getting onto platform 9 ¾, seeing as her aunt had been there before with her brother, but still, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a sense of panic as she ran right into the wall between platforms 9 and 10. But Aunt Josephine was right, of course, and she looked around with a sense of wonder at the scarlet train waiting amongst the grassy fields. "Beautiful, ain't it, Lizzy?" Aunt Josephine murmured behind her. Her eyes seemed to have a far off distant look. The train whistled, and her aunt, after quickly helping her sort her trunk, pushed her inside, smiling and waving as the train rolled out of sight. Elizabeth clutched her small bag of personal items, including a book and a small pouch of coins her aunt had given her just in case. Suddenly feeling very shy, she went off to find an empty seat.

When she found one, it was right behind two kids about her age: one a girl with reddish brown hair and emerald eyes, talking adamantly with a boy with greasy black hair and dark eyes. But they were not alone in their compartment. Across from them sat 4 boys, also roughly Elizabeth's age. She kept her head down and tried not to notice, pulling out her book instead. A least until one of the four boys, the one with the messy black hair, started playacting with an invisible sword. She heard the word Gryffindor as the boy in front of her snorted. Elizabeth also caught the word Slytherin but was unsure about what these boys were arguing about. The greasy haired boy and the girl with him stormed off, in search of another compartment. One of the other boys, the other dark-haired one called out to her, startling her from her thoughts. "Hey! You got a problem?" She shook her head, averting her gaze. "Then go back to curling your already out dated hair!" Elizabeth pulled her book back up to her nose, wanting to disappear. She could hear the boys laughing at her, one of them exclaiming, "Bet she's gonna be a Hufflepuff! She already knows her place!" But as much as her eyes watered, Elizabeth couldn't cry.

It was just then she heard the compartment door clack open, and then shut. She dared a peek. Yet another boy, close to her age stood there, his eyes sweeping the room. He was taller than most the other boys she'd seen thus far. His hair was made of corn silk and his eyes, in a brief shinning moment met hers. The were a deep chocolate brown, almost to the point of being black, and she could just make out the flecks of gold and green residing there. In that brief instant their eyes had met, her turned, opened the door and walked out as quickly as he had come. But in that instant, Elizabeth had sensed something, _familiarity_. Oh, wonder upon wonders! From her creepy wand to this stranger, just what the heck was going on?

**Now that it's the end of chapter 3, you probably have gathered that this take place in the maunders year. I will also warn you now that my character's personality may change due to the fact that my mood changes. I apologize in advanced since I'm not paying attention to this. If she starts turning into a Mary sue, someone please send me a virtual slap in the face. I promise this will get better as the plot progresses and you are able to learn more about the character. Criticism is very much appreciated! Thanks to anybody whose stuck with me this far**!


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: Okay, obviously, I am J.K. Rowling and I didn't win the rights to it off eBay (I got outbid at the last minute, sheesh people)**

The rest of the train ride was fairly uneventful. Having decided she was unworthy of their attention, the four boys ignored her, and Elizabeth was able to resume her book. She was reading _**Lord of the Rings:**__ the Fellowship of the Ring_ for the hundredth time it seemed. She felt closer to Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, even Gollum, than she did to anyone in her life.

At around noon, a plump witch with dark hair and eyes pushed a cart into their compartment. All four of the boys immediately jumped up and surrounded her. When she finally managed to serve them to their hearts content, she turned to Elizabeth, "Anything for you, dearie?" Elizabeth shook her head, grateful that her aunt had thought to pack her lunch. The dark haired boy- the one that made fun of her earlier- snorted and muttered, "Hufflepuff," before returning to his food. She ignored him and unwrapped a corn beef sandwich, her favorite. Taking a bite, she turned back to her book, getting lost once again in the land of hobbits and elves.

It was a little while later that the conductor announced their short arrival. Though already dressed in her robes, she was shoved out of her compartment, the boys insisting they needed their privacy to change. Not knowing what else to do, she began to wander up and down the train. Suddenly, it came to an abrupt stop, and Elizabeth was push off of the train by a wild throng of students ready for another year of schooling.

"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" Someone called behind her. She turned around and saw a giant of a man, twice as tall as any man she'd ever seen, and at least twice as wide. He had thick, bushy, tangled hair and a matching beard. He was ushering children her age into many boats sitting at the edge of an enormous lake. She moved toward him "No mor'an four ina boat!" He called. She got into a boat with a sandy haired boy, a black girl, and thickset boy with cropped hair. Nobody really said anything.

After everyone was settled, the boats began to magically glide across the lake. The boat ride seemed to last forever until, finally, they could make out a castle glittering in the distance. So this was Hogwarts…

Once at the castle, they were ushered inside by a middle aged witch with black, square glasses and brown hair pulled into a severe bun. She gave off the aura of someone not to cross. They were lead down the hallway, away from two large doors that sounded if there were hundreds of people chatting aimlessly away. They entered a small room. "You are to wait here until you are ready to be sorted," she explained. People around her began to murmur excitedly. She even caught sight of that black haired boy play-acting with his imaginary sword again.

Elizabeth felt slightly sick. Sorted? For what purpose? What if she still didn't belong anywhere?

Suddenly, everyone hushed: the witch had reappeared. They automatically formed a single file line and followed her into what appeared to be a giant mess hall. But the ceiling was most unusual. It seemed to match the sky outside so perfectly that if you didn't know any better, you'd think there was no ceiling. Gazing up at it, she noticed how clear it was that night, all the constellations and stars glittering perfectly upon an inky blue sky.

She turned her attention to the student body and saw that they all were starring at a stool with a patched and tattered black hat upon it. Silence filled the room until every last pair of eyes was on it. Suddenly, the rip along the brim propped open and the hat began to sing.

"Oh, you may wonder who'd want a hat as old as me,

But let me tell you all, I'm a hat with personality!

So step right up,

Hurry! Hurry!

I'm here to sort you, no need to worry!

You might belong in Gryffindor

Where all are brave at heart!

Or you could be a Slytherin

Where cunning sets them apart!

Maybe you're a Hufflepuff

Where loyalty's a must!

Or perhaps a Ravenclaw

Where wisdoms all they trust!

So come on up!

Let's have some fun!

For now, you all can see,

The sorting has begun!"

Butterflies began filling Elizabeth's stomach. This was it…


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own the story. **

**Thanks to AlyMathD for the comment. You're right, it was the wrong chapter! I guess that's what I get for working on two stories at once, LOL. Also, thanks to everyone who has kept with me so far, it really means a lot. I promise I will try to make the next chapter longer.**

Despite her nerves, she could now make sense of it all. The mystery of what a Hufflepuff was had finally cleared up. Elizabeth couldn't see why that house was an insult. Wasn't loyalty a good thing?

One by one, in alphabetical order, they were called up to place the hat upon their head. The house would then call out one of the four houses it had described earlier, though sometimes it took a little longer than others. She supposed it was because some people fit more than one house. After all, people can be brave, cunning, loyal, and wise all at the same time.

She watched the four boys off the train- Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter- all become Gryffindors. And she found herself praying that she be placed in any house, as long as it wasn't that one.

On and on the sorting went until, finally it was her turn. The butterflies grew larger. She tentatively took a step forward. Slowly, as if it were her execution, she proceeded to the stool. That was until she was practically thrown there by the kid with the cropped hair. Apparently, patience wasn't a virtue of his. The hat fell over her eyes while her peers madly laughed at her. Even the hat gave a small chuckle, but it didn't sound quite the same as the others.

"Well, well, well… Isn't this interesting? Obviously a…

Ravenclaw!" The hat shouted the last word. A table of students in blue ties gave a loud cheer, as is customary for any sorting. With shaking hands, she took off the hat and made her way to that table. She felt relief run through her veins. She took a seat next to a girl who also had just been sorted. She had reddish blond hair and, behind black cat-eye glasses, hazel eyes. She had a clear rosy complexion. She gave Elizabeth a kind but mischievous smile. She tried to remember her name… Oh, yes! Katie Brown! That was it! She returned Katie's smile.

There were just a few people left to be sorted, including that blonde haired boy from the train! His eyes locked on hers, forbidding her to look away. He marched forward, confidently, as the witch called, "Lucas Wraith."

His eyes never left hers, even as the hat was placed upon his head. He, too, was announced as a Ravenclaw. After handing the hat back, he strode to the table, _her_ table, and took the seat on her other side. Elizabeth felt herself pale. Something about this boy disturbed her down to her bones, yet she found herself unwilling to turn away from him.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Elizabeth," He said in a mocking tone. She ignored it, just wanting to know just what was happening. Finally their eye contact broke when Katie cleared her throat. "You two know each other?" She asked rather nastily. She obviously didn't take being ignored too kindly. Elizabeth shook her head, allowing herself to turn her back on him, and focus all her attention on Katie. Perhaps if she had seen his face, the narrowing eyes burning with passion and fury, maybe, just maybe she would have been a little more frightened. But no, she did not, and that may have been her biggest mistake yet.


End file.
